4 doctors booked under IPC 337 and 338: Missing a diagnosis is not grievous hurt

Dr KK Aggarwal, Recipient of Padma Shri

In Pune a baby was born with deformity, missed on ultrasound. Prenatal check-ups were done at Ashwamegh Nursing Home. None of the doctors notified that the baby had a deformity. They instead said that the baby was fine and their reports, too, claimed that our child was fit. When the baby was born on November 4, 2016, the baby was born with deformities in his right leg, left hand and had no passage for urine. The father went to the then commissioner of police Rashmi Shukla. This led to four doctors being booked under IPC 337 and 338.

Section 337 in The Indian Penal Code: Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others.-Whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both.

Section 338 in The Indian Penal Code: Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others.-Whoever causes grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others, shall be punished with impris¬onment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both...read more

KOCHI: Four cases of leptospirosis have been reported in the state after the unprecedented floods. But what worries the authorities more is not the bacterial infection. Of the four infected persons, two did not take the antibiotic, Doxycycline, prescribed to them. The remaining two are not sure if they have taken it or not, reported TOI, Kochi. The leptospirosis cases were reported .. read more

Indoor pollution and ventilation (Dr KK Aggarwal and Mr JK Jain): Ventilation is the process of exchanging indoor air with outdoor air to create a comfortable indoor environment for humans. Ventilation-related problems account for as much as 60% of indoor air quality problems.
Complaints related to poor ventilation may be due to high concentrations of indoor pollutants with inadequate air exchange, inadequate distribution of ventilated air and ventilation of polluted outdoor air as primary issues. Improper maintenance of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning can cause lung symptoms and Legionellosis... read more

The first results of the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study (Swiss-AF) presented August 26, 2018 at ESC Congress 2018 show that four out of ten patients with atrial fibrillation but no history of stroke or transient ischemic attack have clinically unrecognized ‘silent’ brain lesions, which may ... read more

Nearly 1 in 5 children and teens uses prescription medications and many concurrent users of more than one prescription are at risk of drug interactions, according to a study published in the September 2018 issue of the journal Pediatrics. The use of prescription medications was the... read more

Psychological problems are common in adolescents with strabismus, and the visible eye deviation caused by strabismus is a strong indicator of psychological distress, according to a study reported in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, online August 6, 2018. ... read more

Results of a multicenter population-based cohort study published online August 20, 2018 in JAMA Internal Medicine reveal that discharge of select adult patients directly home from the ICU is not associated with increased health care utilization or increased mortality. Compared with patients discharged home via the hospital ward, patients discharged directly home were younger, more ... read more

Awareness and urgent action needed to achieve the target of ending viral hepatitis by 2030Hepatitis B is the most infectious and can prove life threatening

New Delhi, 27 August 2018: The Indian government launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme this month with a goal of ending viral hepatitis by 2030. Under this programme, free drugs and diagnostics for hepatitis B and C will also be offered. The initiative aims to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the disease apart from preventive and promotive interventions; collaboration with different ministries; increasing access to testing and treatment facilities; and building capacities up to sub-district level.

Viral hepatitis is a major public health challenge in India and affects about 40 million individuals. According to the WHO, deaths due to viral hepatitis are much more than those due to AIDS and tuberculosis. Viral hepatitis is either transmitted through contaminated food or water (A, E) or via blood and body fluids (B, C).